00:00Attorneys of Quantum Legal, including Kristen Williams and Blaine Subrayan, have written to Police Commissioner Alistair Guevara seeking an independent
00:08investigation into the operation of the statutory intelligence framework established under the Strategic Services Agency, SSA, and the Interception of
00:17Communications Act, IOTA, which includes the lawfulness of the acquisition, interception, retention, dissemination, and use of intelligence,
00:25the discharge of statutory duties by public officials, and the legality of executive decisions affecting the liberty and constitutional rights
00:33of their clients.
00:34The Attorneys are representing murder accused Rajai Ali and Earl Richards, as well as Canadian blogger Christmas List.
00:41The Attorneys were highly critical of parliamentary oversight, stating that, open quote,
01:05They argued further that the reporting obligations also enabled the appropriate parliamentary committee, responsible for national security matters,
01:14to perform its oversight function by examining the administration, operation, and accountability of the national security framework.
01:22The Attorneys added, open quote,
01:24The apparent failure to produce and lay those statutory reports over successive reporting periods has therefore frustrated not only Parliament
01:32itself, but also the oversight functions that Parliament deliberately established to guard against the misuse of covert intelligence powers.
01:41To quote, this, this, consequentially, leads the Attorneys say, to elected representatives, affected citizens, and the public being deprived of
01:49the opportunity to determine whether statutory safeguards enacted by Parliament have operated as intended.
01:56The Men's Attorneys said that the matters gave rise to significant public law concerns beyond the question of whether criminal
02:02offences have been committed.
02:04Open quote, open quote, there is legitimate questions as to whether executive decisions affecting liberty and constitutional rights of our
02:12clients were reached in accordance with the principles of natural justice, procedural fairness, and legality.
02:18Close quote.
02:35In light of these concerns raised, the Attorneys proposed that a commissioner of police pursue an investigation to include the
02:42following matters.
02:43Whether any person knowingly withheld, delayed, altered, suppressed, or prevented the submission, or prevented the submission of reports, whether interception
02:50warrants were sought, obtained, or executed in relation to Rajai Ali, Earl Richards, and Christopher Hughes, and, if so, whether
02:57every requirement of the Interception of Communications Act was complied with, whether intelligence obtained through interception warrants was lawfully disseminated
03:05between intelligence agencies, the National Security Council, Ministers, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, or any public authority.
03:13Whether any public officer knowingly exercised authority based upon intelligence that had been obtained or managed contrary to the statutory
03:21safeguards enacted by Parliament.
03:23And whether any records relating to interception warrants, intelligence assessments, National Security Council deliberations, SSI reports, or communications have been
03:32destroyed, concealed, altered, or withheld from lawful oversight.
03:36Mark Bessant, TV6 News.
03:43Mark Bessant, TV6 News.
03:43Mark Bessant, TV6 News.
03:43Mark Bessant, TV6 News.
03:44Mark Bessant, TV6 News.
03:44Mark Bessant, TV6 News.
03:44Mark Bessant, TV6 News.
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